dinky en · ADJ · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- /ˈdɪŋki/
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
1780-90; compare Scots dink (“neatly dressed, trim”) (of obscure origin); sense shift perhaps: trim > dainty > small > insignificant; + -y.
Meanings
-
(UK, informal) Tiny and cute; small and attractive.
Rather should it be said that these ladies wore dress of military style, since there was nothing uniform about their outfits, one being in powder-blue with silver buttons and a forage-cap, the other in tan with gold buttons and the dinkiest of red-peaked kepis.
1961, Xavier Herbert, Soldiers' Women, Netley, SA: Fontana Books, published 1978, page 88:How do you like my hat? That one you had on in church yesterday was real dinky.
1915, Lucy Maud Montgomery, “chapter 11”, in Anne of the Island:“Ooh, well, he is a particularly pretty one. Look at his dinky little nose,” said Raj with a sweet smile.
2012, David Walliams [pseudonym; David Edward Williams], Ratburger, London: HarperCollins Children’s Books, →ISBN:I played in the dirt with a small dinky car as the garage held no fascination for a little girl of five.
2010, Sharon Wallace, A House Full of Whispers, page 5:
-
(US, informal) Tiny and insignificant; small and undesirable.
They stayed in a dinky hotel room, but they had a great trip.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| dinkier | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| dinkiest | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Relateds
dinky-di · inky-dinky · rinky-dinky
Translations (20)
pl lichy ((informal, US) Tiny and insignificant; small and undesirable) · cs hezoučký ((informal, British) Tiny and cute; small and charmful) · de schnuckelig ((informal, British) Tiny and cute; small and charmful) · cs miloučký ((informal, British) Tiny and cute; small and charmful) · pl malutki ((informal, British) Tiny and cute; small and charmful) · fr croquignolet ((informal, British) Tiny and cute; small and charmful) · de klein und mies ((informal, US) Tiny and insignificant; small and undesirable) · de niedlich ((informal, British) Tiny and cute; small and charmful) · cs maličký ((informal, US) Tiny and insignificant; small and undesirable) · fr croquignolet ((informal, US) Tiny and insignificant; small and undesirable) · cs mrňavý ((informal, US) Tiny and insignificant; small and undesirable) · bg изящен ((informal, British) Tiny and cute; small and charmful) · cs nicotný ((informal, US) Tiny and insignificant; small and undesirable) · bg дребен ((informal, US) Tiny and insignificant; small and undesirable) · fr mignon ((informal, British) Tiny and cute; small and charmful) · ru невзрачный ((informal, US) Tiny and insignificant; small and undesirable) · ru изящный ((informal, British) Tiny and cute; small and charmful) · de klein und schäbig ((informal, US) Tiny and insignificant; small and undesirable) · es minúsculo ((informal, US) Tiny and insignificant; small and undesirable) · bg незначителен ((informal, US) Tiny and insignificant; small and undesirable)